Brilliant Sarwan can’t stop English

BRIDGETOWN: Marcus Trescothick smashed 82 off 57 balls as England eased to a five-wicket victory over West Indies to win the seventh and final One-Day International yesterday and draw the series 2-2. Ramnaresh Sarwan hit a brilliant, unbeaten 104 as West Indies amassed 261 for six from their 50 overs. But Trescothick got England off to a flying start before Andrew Strauss hit 66 as England reached 262 for five with 16 balls to spare. Paul Collingwood, with 46 not out and Chris Read, with an unbeaten 23, saw England home. Trescothick hit 12 fours and a six in his 82 to take the match away from West Indies after they had rallied from a slow start to set a challenging total.

Put into bat, Shivnarine Chanderpaul fell for three and Ricardo Powell for nine, both men struggling on a lush outfield against mean opening spells from Darren Gough and Steve Harmison. With Andrew Flintoff also keeping things tight, England restricted West Indies to just 57 from their first 15 overs. Opener Chris Gayle hit a stylish 41 but when captain Brian Lara fell for eight in the 23rd over, West Indies were struggling on 90 for four. Lara’s dismissal brought Dwayne Smith to the crease and the talented youngster hammered 39 from just 35 balls to lift the run-rate. Sarwan then took control, easing to his second One-Day Interna-tional hundred with 13 fours and adding 68 with Ridley Jacobs (32 not out) for the seventh wicket.

Gough, criticised in the English press after a tired-looking display in Sunday’s sixth match of the series, went for 20 in his last two overs but still recorded commendable figures of one for 45 from his ten overs. In reply, Trescothick, who made a superb century in the fifth match of the series in St Lucia on Saturday, took the attack to the West Indies. Paceman Mervyn Dillon was the main victim of Trescothick’s aggression, the fast bowler going for 59 from his first eight overs. Captain Michael Vaughan was adjudged caught behind off Ravi Rampaul for 14, though television replays suggested he did not hit it. With Trescothick firing on all cyclinders, England’s 100 came up in the 14th over. Just when he looked set for a second century in three matches, Trescothick fell to one of the rarer dismissals in cricket, stumped off a wide for 82 from the bowling of Gayle, who again bowled superbly, his eight overs costing just 27.